Officials of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) seized 55 kg of camel meat on Friday, and prosecuted the owner of a beef shop for selling unstamped camel meat.
“We have received a complaint regarding the issue so we inspected the place and found out that the meat he was selling was from an animal which was slaughtered illegally and the meat was also unhygienic," L Goverdhan Reddy assistant director (North zone, Veterinary Section) of the GHMC, told the Times of India.
The TOI report adds that the GHMC prosecuted Al Fazal Beef shop in Malkajgiri under section 521, 548, 487 and 530 of the GHMC act.
This also comes two days after an advocate filed a police complaint, against the sale of camel meat at Dabeerpura in Hyderabad's Old City area.
"There is a list of animals that can be slaughtered and, camel is not part of it. As per Animal Welfare Board of India directions to all the state governments issued on August 17, 2015 and again on July 4, 2016, it is mentioned that camels cannot be slaughtered. I saw in two stores in Dabeerpura, display of a camel head, legs besides a sign board offering to sell camel meat,'' the advocate said in his complaint.
"Police cannot do much in such cases. We wrote a letter to the GHMC authorities about the issue and forwarded the complaint to them. We requested them to inquire about the matter and take necessary action." D Venkanna Naik, Dabeerpura Inspector had said at the time.
In the first week of April, the GHMC appealed to all eateries across the city, to only use meat from notified slaughter houses, which are monitored, and maintain a better quality.
However, since this meat is costly, several eateries make their purchases from local butchers, thereby putting public health at risk.